10 Reasons why you should volunteer your media skills with Child’s i Foundation

1. You have been at TV freelancer for several years and are becoming disillusioned by the amount of vacuous programmes you’re asked to work on about celebrities learning a skill or dancing dogs. You got into the industry to make powerful, BAFTA-winning films which touch people’s hearts and even inspire social change, but instead you’re filming teenagers getting drunk in Magaluf.

2. You are sick of the weather. Get away from the grey skies and the floods. Living on the Equator will give you a healthy, envy-inducing tan and you’ll be able to moan about the British weather with renewed vigour when you get back.

3. You moved to London for your first Runner job and fear you might get stuck here forever. Well, why not sublet your room or put your flat on Airbnb for a couple of months and experience living in one of East Africa’s most vibrant cities?

4. You’ve always dreamt of living abroad but never quite taken that leap of faith. The hassle of sorting a visa for Canada or Australia puts you off, and you worry you wouldn’t find work when you got there. Working in Africa is something you’ll never regret and Child’s i Foundation will provide your accommodation and per diems to help cover costs.

5. You are tired of the hellish daily commute, hate TFL with an unparalleled passion and find yourself verbally abusing tourists who stand on the wrong side of the escalator.Why not swap riding the tube for riding a matatu? We may not have Boris bikes but we have Boda Bodas! More dangerous but FAR more fun*.

6. You want to move up the ladder. But you’re struggling to get experience shooting overseas or on more serious documentaries. Improve your show reel and make your CV stand out by getting 3 months experience shooting compelling human-interest stories in a developing country.

7. You’d like to hone your shooting or editing skills. You may not have had much opportunity to cut your own films or perhaps you just want complete creative freedom without a Commissioner making changes you don’t agree with or an Executive Producer breathing down your neck. Out here, you’ll be combining travel with volunteering whilst utilising your shooting and editing skills for a good cause.

8. You are hungry for adventure. Whether you come out here alone, or bring a partner, you’ll soon fall in love with Africa. It’s not all work, work, work – you can go white-water rafting and bungee jumping, kayaking the Nile or horse-riding through a game reserve. If you’re stuck-in-a-rut or want a change of scenery, this is the perfect opportunity.

9. You love wildlife but the only wildlife you see in London is urban foxes or rodents on the underground. Uganda is the place to visit if you’ve ever dreamt of trekking with gorillas, seeing chimpanzees in their natural habitat or going on safari. At weekends you’ll feel like you’re in a David Attenborough documentary.

10. You want your life back. You have been on location pretty much non-stop for the last few years and despite the small fortune you’ve accrued in per diems, you pine for more sociable working hours. Out here, you’ll work 9-5pm most days so will have the evenings to socialise with fellow expats or colleagues, pursue hobbies which you never had time for in London and figure out what you want to do with your life. It’s a different pace of life in Africa and you’ll go back home feeling inspired and re-energised – plus with a lot more strings to your bow.

*the charity do not encourage use of boda bodas

You don’t get moments like this in the office back home

Child’s i Foundation relies on TV peeps to volunteer their skills to help change the world. Your role will involve making films on behalf of the government, promoting local adoption and helping to show people around the world that children should grow up in families, not orphanages. The placement is for three months and the charity provide accommodation and per diems. To find out more about becoming a Media Volunteer at Child’s i Foundation or just how to get involved in fundraising from the UK, email the lovely Lucy at lucy@childsifoundation.org

If you don’t have the time to help but still want to help Child’s i Foundation desperately need to raise £500 every month for a medical fund that helps save the lives of many of the children that come into care. Please would you help us reach our target by donating £3 per month. Just text MEDICAL to 70002. Thank you.

I’m a TV Director with unsatiable wanderlust. My travel highs include filming in Cambodia for National Geographic, teaching in a South African township and swimming with whale sharks in Mexico. My (many) travel lows include breaking my leg in the French Alps and getting Delhi belly whilst sharing a dorm with four boys. When I’m not backpacking, I make films for BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Lonely Planet. Hit me up directly for advertising opportunities on my blog, sponsored ads or tailored travel tips.

About Me

Hello stranger!

I'm Caroline, a documentary filmmaker from London. My love of documenting stories is the reason I started this little blog and as a freelancer, I am lucky enough to get the chance to travel in between jobs. As well as blogging on here, I write for Huffington Post and Discover India magazine.